Wastewater Fuel Cell Wins Small Business Funding

Mar 06, 2009

Fuss & O’Neill is one of three New England-based companies that received money from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Small Business Innovation Research program, according to a Feb. 27 press release.

Fuss & O’Neill will receive $70,000 for the development of electricity generation from anaerobic wastewater treatment in microbial fuel fells. New research with Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) technology has demonstrated an ability to extract chemical energy contained in wastewater and convert it to electrical power. Chemical energy extracted from wastewater carbohydrates has the potential, in theory, to convert wastewater treatment plants from huge power users to sources of electrical power. This effort achieves three of EPA’s goals for wastewater facilities: reducing energy requirements, better managing energy use, and the cost-effective production and recover of green power.